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by ~AmberTheCuriousOne~ on June 22nd, 2009

~AmberTheCuriousOne~

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What is the mental illness where you belive you can change into animals

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Answers. 4 helpful answers below.

  • by iwnit on June 22nd, 2009

    iwnit

    Zoanthropy

    1) "Clinical lycanthropy is defined as a rare psychiatric syndrome which involves a delusion that the affected person can or has transformed into an animal, or that he or she is an animal. Its name is connected to the mythical condition of lycanthropy, a supernatural affliction in which people are said to physically shapeshift into wolves. The word zoanthropy is also sometimes used for the delusion that one has turned into an animal in general and not specifically a wolf."
    Source and further information:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_lycanthropy


    2) "Therianthropy (from n. therianthrope and adj. therianthropic, part man and part beast, from the Greek theríon, θηρίον, meaning "wild animal" or "beast" (impliedly mammalian), and anthrōpos, άνθρωπος, meaning "human being") refers to the metamorphosis of humans into other animals. Therianthropes have long existed in mythology, appearing in ancient cave drawings such as the Sorcerer at Les Trois Frères.
    The term therianthropy was used to refer to animal transformation folklore of Asia and Europe as early as 1901. Sometimes, "zoanthropy" is used instead of "therianthropy".

    Therianthropy was also used to describe spiritual belief in animal transformation in 1915 and one source raises the possibility the term may have been used in the 16th century in criminal trials of suspected werewolves."

    "Among a sampled set of psychiatric patients, the belief of being part animal, or clinical lycanthropy, was generally associated with severe psychosis, but not always with any specific psychiatric diagnosis or neurological findings. Others regard clinical lycanthropy as a delusion in the sense of the self-identity disorder found in affective and schizophrenic disorders, or as a symptom of other psychiatric disorders."
    Source and further information:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therianthropy


    3) "Therianthropy, derived from the Greek therion (Θηριον, meaning "beast,") and anthrōpos (ανθρωπος, meaning "human,") refers to beings that are partly human and partly animal, and in this sense is synonymous with the fandom's term furry. It has often been used to describe mythological creatures and deities, and has recently taken on a specialized meaning. Sometimes shortened to "therian," it is today used to describe members of a spiritually oriented subculture.

    One way the term therianthropy has been used, as early as 1901, is in reference to transformation folklore of Asia and Europe. Therianthropy was also used to describe spiritual belief in animal transformation in 1915 and one source raises the possibility the term may have been used in the 16th century in criminal trials of suspected werewolves."

    "Self-identified therianthropy
    When people believe they change into an animal form (theriomorphosis), or possess supernatural non-human animal traits, the term clinical lycanthropy is often used. This classification is a form of mental illness, though many anthropologists would point out that the belief has extensive religious precedent in shamanic cultures. Likewise, people who call themselves shapechangers as a form of social identification are generally not considered ill by mental health professionals unless their beliefs interfere with the normal functioning of their lives. This can be a controversial issue, as the line between what the Western mind passes off as a strange or alternative belief and what is considered a mental illness is indistinct."
    Source and further information:
    http://furry.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthropy

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  • by sssquib on June 25th, 2009

    sssquib

    WOW! OMG! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! I've just posted a question asking if anyone has ever heard of someone who thinks they have an animal alter - ego. I turn int a Red Squirrel you see. People think I'm nuts - lol. This is serious. I thought I was all alone in the world. Amber if you understand where I'm coming from please get in touch. I'd love to speak to a like - minded soul. Thanks so much for posting the question.

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  • by DudeLer 2 on June 23rd, 2009

    DudeLer 2

    its not a mental illness. its a skill of the mind. havent you ever imagined you were a bird flying over your home?

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  • by dancer on August 6th, 2009

    dancer

    Iwnit gave a comprehensive response. I think I have become a dog with all the barking in my neighborhood. +4

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